E-Paper
Samir Kumar Jana leading at Patharpratima constituency
Samir Kumar Jana is a three-time MLA from Patharpratima constituency in West Bengal, representing the Trinamool Congress.
Indian politician Samir Kumar Jana is a three-time Member of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly from the Patharpratima Assembly Constituency in South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal who is leading with 21484 votes.
He represents the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) and was most recently elected in the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections.
Background
Samir Kumar Jana was born in 1950 in Patharpratima, South 24 Parganas district. He is the son of the late Rathikanta Jana. He completed his Bachelor of Arts from a college affiliated with the University of Calcutta and later earned his Master of Arts degree in 1986 from the University of Calcutta. Before entering full-time politics, he worked as a teacher and is a retired educationist by profession. His background in education and rural life in South 24 Parganas shaped his early public engagement and later political career.
About the Seat (Patharpratima Assembly Constituency)
The Patharpratima Assembly constituency is located in the Sundarbans region of South 24 Parganas district in West Bengal. It is a geographically sensitive and largely rural constituency, characterised by riverine islands, coastal geography, and vulnerability to cyclones and flooding. The area is part of the larger Sundarbans delta system.
Politically, Patharpratima has seen intense competition between the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) and the Trinamool Congress. Before 2011, the CPI(M) had a strong influence in the constituency as part of the broader Left Front dominance in West Bengal. However, after 2011, the political landscape shifted significantly with the rise of the TMC across the state, including in South 24 Parganas, where it gradually consolidated its position.
What Happened in the Elections?
In the 2001 West Bengal Assembly elections, Samir Kumar Jana contested from Patharpratima but lost to CPI(M) candidate Jajneswar Das. He again contested in the 2006 elections, where he faced the same opponent and was defeated once more, reflecting the stronghold of the Left Front in the constituency during that period.
Keeping up with UP | How Bengal poll results will impact the battle for UP
A major shift occurred in the 2011 West Bengal Assembly elections, when the political wave in favour of the Trinamool Congress transformed the state’s electoral map. In this election, Samir Kumar Jana contested as a TMC candidate and defeated CPI(M)’s Jajneswar Das by a margin of 14,773 votes, marking his first electoral victory and his entry into the West Bengal Legislative Assembly.
In the 2016 West Bengal Assembly elections, he retained the Patharpratima seat as a TMC candidate. He secured 107,595 votes with a vote share of 50.85 percent and won by a margin of 13,793 votes. This victory reinforced TMC’s consolidation in the Sundarbans region and confirmed Jana’s position as a key local representative.
BJP takes early lead in Bengal; Mamata trailing in Bhabanipur
In the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections, Samir Kumar Jana was re-elected for a third term. He polled 120,181 votes and defeated his nearest rival, Asit Kumar Haldar of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), by a margin of 22,134 votes. This election was part of a high-intensity statewide contest between the TMC and BJP, but Patharpratima remained firmly under TMC control.
